Imagine an entity that receives far more patents from the U.S. PTO than any related entity in the country. An entity that has generated at least $500 million in patent royalties over the last five years. One that often uses the courts, routinely alleging patent infringement as a plaintiff and settling against such giants as Genentech for $200 million, Monsanto for over $100 million, and Microsoft for $30 million settlement, to name but a few. And yet, this entity cannot itself be sued or pursued for patent infringement. Some would say this sounds like a typical “patent troll,” which does not actually make, use, or sell anything (and thus is not likely to be sued for patent infringement) but seeks only to “monetize” its patent portfolio by forcing legitimate practitioners of the technology to pay licensing fees. Read the rest of this entry »